Railroad switch heater



June 1950 o. L. GARRETSON RAILROAD swrrcn HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1946 INVEN TOR. O. L. GARRETSON M ATTORN EYS 1 June 1950 o. L. GARRETSON RAILROAD swrrcu HEATER Filed July 22, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/ Wm I a v W m W FIG. 8

IN VEN TOR. O. L. GARRETSON Flag 7 M ATTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1950 7 2,512,541 RAILROHD swrir'o'n HEATER v O Wen L. Garretson,.:Bartlesville,Okla assignor i i 'tQPhilliPS Petroleum Company,l-a-corporation s of Delaware AppIicatidnJulyZZ, IMSfSerial-"No. 68555-3 a claims. (01. 1 58-99):

mli-i'smvention'relates to be used in connection with railroadi switches, raili oadcar retardersgand the like, under conditions when ice-=aind snow are-present, wherein the ice an'd snow a're -melted and-such railroad -mechanisms are l4ept-in a completely operable condition. a

Railroad 'g-as burner-s of the t-priorart have had one diiiieulty or-iault, :in commomlthatiupon pas- 'sag'e -cf a high spee'd trainpthe burners-could not -be' depended upon to remain? burning. :Some of "the-mere recent-and-improved' typesof burners "or iieaters have rem'ained' burning-during passage o'f' a train'at speeds of 60 to 7-0-miles-per hour, but

heaters could no't be depended upon.

One object of my invention is to provide an operative heating device for de-icing and preventihgnce formatiohon certain railroad equipment, "as switches.

A'n'otl'rerobject of my invention is to provide a heating "device for use on railroad switches and the like, which will "continue'to function under "conditions of passage o'fhigh speed trains.

Still another object ofmy'inve'nt-ion' is'to provide f'a gas heater a'ssernbly'ifc'iruse in'flde-i'ci'ng and ice "prevention'on railroa d 'switch equipment and the "like, whichis adapted-to maintain the rails and switch mechanisms; at desiredpointsin'a warm or heated conditionsufiicient' tomelt ice, if present, drto 'pfe'vefitthe "formation of "ice thereon and iyetfnfot maintain "the rails in an overheated or "inemeiently heated conditions.

Many, other objects "and advantages of my hatelfwilrbe apiiialiefitifo'thdse' sklled in the ait frdmafcareful study of my disclosure and-attached drawing which respectively describes and illustrates one embodiinentof my heater apparatus.

, .iln the drawing, I Figure 1 is-a side 'elevational view of my heater assembly. i

, Eigure zis -a' verticalcrosssectional-view of my -heater assembly.

Figure 3-isan end viewof the-cap taken from -the-line 3 3 of :Figure 4; and shown in section in Figure- 2. Figure 4 isa sectional view of the cap taken on -the'=line 4 4 of Figure 3.

sFigureS-is across sectional view'of the burner v'orifice containing member taken on the line 5-5 of r'Fi'gure'fi.

figure- 6-is an endwiew of 'the burner orifice J to gas heaters. In 'on'e of itsmore speeific aispeetsit relates to gas-heaters containing member taken from 'the Aline '16-'916 Figure 5. J 5

Figure 7 isan 'end view of my heater assembly. Figure c-isa pian'wiew of a heater installation.

tot

Figure!) isa si'd'e elevationa'ltview of the heater installation of ifligure 8. 7,

Referring to :the i dr-awing, and specifically :to Figures l and 2; lth'e iheater is momposediof awcombustio'n chamber' member 1: H la riperforatevcap slfl,

example, a id/ inch b'la'ck pipe i'about 12 ito 1:15 inches long. i-In lthis pipe 1 are cut "a number -=of slots I 5, :.ab0ut"1-/1s Jinch across and zaizhalf/iinch apart. This "plurality of :slots extends from ethe downstream end I of the tube 1 to:-. az point near :the

, downstream end :of a combustion zone, -to beadescribed hereinafter. These -sl'ots are-intentledato be exitsior 'h'ot.combustionigases. i The burner end of this tube mayicarry some threads@ [-6 for receiving the threaded' end cap 912, which member maybe a conventionahpipei-capi The cap I 2 isedrilled at itsrcent'er :andF-the="opening 'threade'd for receiving and :retaining .tlie

- orifice member -13. This threadedvopening may be identified by refereI-icetoirEigure v3, .and=:referencei number? i I, thereon.

Figures '5 and- 6 r show detailed construction of the *orificemember W3 of F iguresslcand 2. This member may be constructed 'of bar brass,z-iof hexagon form, and the interior drilled out as shown. The-end 'ofthe member may then be drilled with "a very small drill to :produce an orifice l8 for meteringza combustible 'gas'em'oute to its burning zone. The size onrather diameter,

0f this metering opening-'will be :a; function of the 13. t. uxcontent-oftheegas to bewburned in the apparatus. As is knownby those :skilied in-the gas burner artphigher i3.= t. u.-gases require smaller -burner orifices.

ing aipipe nipple22 "at itsopposite end. On=the orifice end of this-icouplin'gnis rrigi'dlyvtattached f a *circular platen. irhiszplate containsiascircular opening at its center sufliciently large that the upstream end of the orifice member l3 may pass through freely, and yet not large enough to permit passage of the collar 2|. This plate member may be welded or otherwise rigidly attached to 5 the end of said collar as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the upstream end of the burner or heater tube H is a. Venturimember 24. This member may be made from a solid metal cylinderhaving the Venturi opening drilled or turned out on a lathe as desired. To prevent the Venturi member 24 from sliding down the tube H, a small shoulder or flange 25 is provided and adapted to contact the end of the tube and a set screw 26 may be inserted in a threaded opening in the tube II for preventing the Venturi member from moving toward the orifice member l3. Some openings 3| are provided in the bottom of the tube member H for disposal of water from rain or melting ice or snow in case such water finds its ;way into the tube.

Figures 3 and 4 shows the detail of construction of the cap member 12. As mentioned hereinbefore the center of the cap is drilled and threadcap may carry one or more perforations or holes 21 for admission of. air. Additional air inlets 2833 may .be provided around the circular edge of the cap; In 'the'embodiment shown, I have provided eight quarter inch diameter holes equally spaced 1 andthe longitudinal axes of these holes 28 are approximately 45 from the longitudinal axis of- 40 the assembly. The two air inlets 2'1 may also be of inch diameter. It is not intended that the number or. size of these air inlet openings 21 and 28 as shown is critical, since both number and size may needbe varied according to the heating value of the fuel gas, and also according to the size and heating capacity of the assembly. The flange 23'is intended to prevent atmospheric wind or transversal air currents caused by a rapidly passing train from interferring with the normal inflow of air through the air inlets 21 and 28.

For installation on a railroad track, a bracket 29 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be welded to the top of the burner tube II for hooking over 55,

the bottom flange of a rail. An end bracket 30 is intended to support its end of the assembly when attached to a crosspiece member 31, the

ends of which may be fastened to adjacent ties.

In assembling the burner parts, the Venturi member 24 is first inserted into the tube H and clamped rigidly in place by the set screw member 26. The orifice member [3 is screwed into the cap 12, and the collar 2|. with its attached flange 23 is screwed to the orifice member as shown. The nipple 22 may then be placed.

The cap may then be screwed onto the threadedend of the tube II when the assembled heater is then ready for installation.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate'the method of installation of my heaterundera'pair of rails, as

in the vicinity of a switch mechanism. A main line rail 33 is the fixed rail,: and rail '34 is a take-off or switch rail. Of this take-oftzrail, rail "section 38 is fixed in position, byspikes 40. ltailms.

section 36 is movable with a joint 35 as a pivot point.

The bracket 29 is hooked over one side of the base flange of the rail and the end bracket 30 bolted to a cross piece 31, which in turn is fastened to two adjacent ties 39 in any satisfactory manner.

After the heater is in position under the rail section to be heated, the nipple 22 may be connected to a source of gas, not shown, when the assembly is ready for service.

Placing into service involves turning on the 'fuel gas from a source, not shown, and application of a lighted match to the open end 32 of the tube II, or to the slots I5, or even to the air inlet openings 2'i28. Lighting the gas by way of the opening 32 or slots 15, ignites the combustible mixture issuing therefrom, the flame traveling up the tube to the downstream end of the Venturi member 24. Lighting by application of a flame to the air inlets 21-28 merely permits sucking of the flame through these air inlets and passage .to the downstream side of the Venturi.

Even during this-latter lighting operation little or no flameis present within the cap portion of the assemblysince substantially no mixing of the issuing fuel gas and air occurs in this region. ,Mixing does occur, however, on the downstream side of the Venturi and at that point it is intended for; the combustion to take place. The zone from approximately the downstream end of the venturi to the first of the plurality of slots is intended to be the combustion zone, and it is further intended that all or substantially all of the combustion take place within this zone. In this manner combustion gases at nearly the same temperature pass through the slots l5.

Example For the useof propane fuel gas I have found that the Venturi throat may be inch in diameter, and two air inlets 21 of 4 inch diameter, and eightair inlets 28 of inch diameter may be used. The size or diameter of the orifice 18 was such'as resulted when a drill number 76 was used in making the orifice.

When installing a heater made according to the example, in such a manner as hereinbefore disclosed, and using propane as fuel at a. pressure of 12 to15 pounds per square inch, a railroad rail immediately over the heaterwastoo hot' to' handle with bare hands, and accordingly ample heat was available to melt ice or prevent ice formation. It has been found that heat travelsthrough the rail in'both directions from the heater for a sufficient distance to protect a substantial length of rail from ice and snow.

' Prior art heaters have for the most part been designed to operate on gas from municipal or utility distribution systems, and such systems ordinarily furnish gas at only a few ounces pressure, and I believe the use of such low-pressure gas even in burners of-best available design is one reason for failure on railroads operating high speed trains. I have found that by using gas at pressures of 10 to 15 pounds per square inch and preferably 12 to 15 pounds, burners of design as herein disclosedremain lit even during'passage of trains at speeds of miles per hour.

. When using such as gas as an 800 B. t. u. per cubic foot city gas, the orifice 18 may be'made with a No. '71 drill, and fewer holes 2128 used.

While I have disclosed making such a heater with a, 1 inch black iron pipe, othermeterials may-be used. The Venturi member maybe a cast iron member, or it may be made of other material as steel or the like, providing it is adapted to casting or machining to make the venturi opening, and is adapted to be noncorrosive and capable of withstanding heater temperatures.

The orifice containing member may well be made of brass since an orifice once made should not be subject to corrosion nor to any conditions which might alter its size or shape.

The remaining member parts may be made of standard pipe and fittings such as the nipple 22 and the collar 2|. Flange 23 may be made of sheet iron or other material as desired.

If such a heater as herein disclosed is intended to be used in such service as would require a larger heater, thebarrel portion may be made from a large pipe, larger in both diameter and length, and all other member parts adjusted in size accordingly. In addition the orifice then may be sized difierently as well as the air inlet holes.

The heater may be supported by legs in place of the brackets 29 and 30, but I prefer to use the brackets as hereinbefore described.

As will be realized by those skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of my heater may be made and yet remain within the intended spirit and scope of my invention.

Having disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. A high pressure heater comprising an elongated hollow heater body, having end closures and being perforate in one of its sides from one end to a point near the other end so as to provide outlet for combustion gas; a high pressure fuel inlet conduit extending through a first end closure to a point adjacent the inner side of said first closure; air inlet means formed in said first closure and disposed around said fuel gas inlet conduit and to the rear of the outlet end of said 40 fuel conduit; a venturi within and constricting said heater body at a point closely adjacent said first closure but longitudinally spaced upstream from said perforate body portion; and deflector means on said fuel gas inlet, spaced rearwardly from said first closure so as to reduce extraneous currents about said air inlet means.

2. A high pressure heater comprising an elongated hollow heater body at least partially closed in both of its ends; a first cap member at least partially closing one end of said body, said heater body being perforate in one of its sides from a point closely adjacent the end opposite said first cap member to a point longitudinally spaced from the end closed by said first cap; a high pressure fuel gas inlet extending a short distance through said first cap member; air inlet means formed in said first cap member and disposed around said fuel gas inlet conduit and to the rear of the outlet end of said fuel gas conduit; a venturi within and constricting said heater body at a point closely adjacent said first closure but longitudinally spaced upstream from said perforate body portion; and deflector means on said fuel gas inlet, spaced rearwardly from said cap so as to reduce extraneous currents about said air inlet means; and fastener means for maintaining said heater in operational contact with members to be heated.

3. The high pressure heater of claim 2, wherein said air inlet means consists of inlets formed in the end wall of said closure cap.

OWEN L. GARRETSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 854,491 Haggerty et al. May 21, 1907 1,330,048 Baker Feb. 10, 1920 1,981,602 Levey et al. Nov. 20, 1934 2,193,176 Krugler Mar. 12. 1940 

